annual report - town of landgrove -...
TRANSCRIPT
2013Town of Landgrove, Vermont
ANNUAL REPORTFor the year ending December 31, 2013
TOWN MEETING • March 3rd, 2014 • 6:00pm • Landgrove Town Hall
Useful Information
Landgrove Town Offices
Phone/fax: (802) 824-3716 Email: [email protected] Mailingaddress: 88LandgroveRoad•Landgrove,VT05148 Hours: Thursdays,9am-1pm,orbyappointment
TownClerk: ChrystalCleary (802)824-5394(home)
TownTreasurer: AndreaOgden (802) 824-6318 (home)
RoadCommissioner: SteveHall (802) 824-6622 (home)
FireWarden: KarlT.Pfister (802)824-4663(office)
AssistantFireWarden: JeremiahEvarts (802)683-0518(forburnpermits)
SelectBoardChair: JeremiahEvarts (802) 824-4202
Community ResourcesL’derryLandfill&Recycle: http://www.londonderryvt.org/index.html Phone: (802)824-5506 Open: ClosedWed&Sun,callforspecifichours.
LondonderryPostOffice: (802)824-6571 Windowhours: Mon-Fri,8:30-12&2-4:30pm Sat8:30-11:30am
FloodBrookSchool: (802)824-6811
Burr&BurtonAcademy: (802)362-1775
GreenMtnPower: (800)451--2877(reportoutages)
MtnValleyMedicalClinic: (802)824-6901 Hours: Mon-Fri,8:30-4:30pm On-callphone: 24hours
VTStatePolice: (802)875-2112(non-emergency)
Senators: BobHartwell,[email protected] DickSears,[email protected]
HouseofRepresentatives: PattyKomline,[email protected]
EMERGENCY NUMBER: 911
2013ANNUAL REPORT
TOWN OF LANDGROVEVERMONT
FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2013
AUDITORS
PEGGY MOLE ANNE MCCLARAN MARY GOUGER
Town Meeting Information
Monday, March 3rd, 2014 at 6pm
Landgrove Town Hall
Potluck Supper to follow.
Table of Contents
Vital Statistics ................................................................................................3
Landgrove Checklist ......................................................................................4
Warning 2013 Annual Town Meeting ............................................................5
Town Officers Elected ....................................................................................7
Town Officers Appointed by Select Board ....................................................8
Minutes of Town Meeting 2013 .....................................................................9
Auditors’ Report ...........................................................................................13
Current Asset Balance Sheet ........................................................................14
Cash Account Summary ...............................................................................14
Cash Account Reconciliation Detail ............................................................15
Statement of Taxes Raised ...........................................................................17
Statement of Delinquent Taxes Collected ....................................................18
Reserve Funds ..............................................................................................19
General Fund Budget ...................................................................................22
Roads Budget ...............................................................................................24
Select Board Report .....................................................................................26
Cemetery Commission .................................................................................27
Clerk’s Report ..............................................................................................28
Landgrove Community Club .......................................................................28
Conservation Commission ...........................................................................28
Map of Town Lands .....................................................................................29
Landgrove Historical Society ......................................................................30
Listers’ Report ..............................................................................................31
Road Commissioner’s Report ......................................................................32
Treasurer’s Report ........................................................................................33
Trustees of Public Funds ..............................................................................33
Zoning & Planning .......................................................................................35
Statements from Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union ..........................36
Special thanks to Marion Sweetman for sharing her photographs with the Town.
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 3 -
Vital StatisticsTown of Landgrove, County of Bennington
Population 158*
Area 5,586 acres
2012 Tax Rate Resident $1.5280 Non-resident $1.4921
Total Property Valuation $134,791,319 as of 7/29/2013
MARRiAGESJuly 6 Jeffery McGraw and Monique van de Leuv, both of Holmdel, NJ
July 13 Kali Merrow and Benjamin Lennon, both of Landgrove
August 3 Peter Gram Emerson of Landgrove to Sarah Elizabeth Foale of Kingsbridge, UK
August 3 Reilly Hadden of Landgrove to Sara Greenfield of Squam Lake, NH
August 10 Shawn McGrath and Anna Bell, both of Boston, MA
August 31 Rebecca Shattuck and Adam Chaprnka, both of Jamaica Plain, MA
October 5 Marguerite Dibble of Landgrove to Thatcher Friant of South Londonderry, VT
BiRThSCarson Apuhango born February 1, 2013 in Springfield, VT to Carmen Coronel and Byron Apuhango of Landgrove
Olivia Alice Lennon born August 23, 2013 in Lebanon, NH to Kali Merrow and Ben Lennon
DEAThS
February 13 John Newton of Landgrove and Jamaica, VT
March 25 Jean Winkler of Landgrove and Vero Beach, FL
August 4 Elaine Raphael Bolognese of Landgrove and New York, NY
August 23 Christie Myers Tolstoy of New York, NY and Calais, VT
November 7 John M.P. Thatcher, Jr. of Landgrove and Hilton Head, SC
September 3 Mary Helen Williams of Landgrove and Fairfield, CT
September 28 Arthur Collins Williams of Landgrove and Fairfield, CT
* Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 4 -
Landgrove Checklist
ADAMS, LEIGH
ADAMS, RICHARD
AMATO, LEE
AMEDEN, JAMES
AMEDEN, JOSEPHINE
BIGELOW, JONATHAN G.H.
BIGELOW, MAGNUS W.
BIGELOW, MARY S.
BIGELOW, MAY
BIGELOW, MELVA
BIGELOW, SETH W.
BOKENKAMP, BONNIE
BOKENKAMP, GARY
BRETTA, KIMBERLEE A.
CHALMERS, CAMERON
CHECCHIA, MAUREEN
CHECCHIA, THOMAS
CLARK, MICHAEL
CLEARY, CHRYSTAL
CLEARY, JEFFERSON
COHEN, ANNETTE
COLE, DALEN
DEE, ELIZABETH
DIBBLE, JOCELYN
DIBBLE, REBECCA A.
DIBBLE, THOMAS R.
DOMMENGE, KEVIN
ECKHARDT, JOHN G.
ECKHARDT, KIMBERLY A.
ECKHARDT, LYNN
EMERSON, NATHALIE
ENGLISH, JOHN
ENGLISH, LEILA
ENGLISH, MARY
EVARTS, JEREMIAH
EVARTS, KARA
GOUGER, MARY
GRAM, FRANCINE W.
GRAVES, ANGELA M.
GRAYSON, PRISCILLA
GREENSLIT, BRANDY
HADDEN, JOHN
HALL, STEVEN
HANDSHAW, HAIG
HANDSHAW, KRISTIN
HARRIS, CLAUDIA
HARRIS, SUSAN U.
HARRIS, THOMAS A.
HASSETT, JERALD
HASSETT, VIVIAN
HEINEMANN, NANCIE
HENSON, CASEY
HENSON, CRAIG
HENSON, ELISE
ISHU, CHRISTOPHER JOHN
ISHU, SARAH
JEFFREY, MARION
JEFFREY, MICHAEL
JOHNSON, FRANK
JOHNSON, SARAH L.
JORDAN, JEAN
JORDAN, ROBERT
KENNEDY, MICHAEL
KENNEDY, ROBIN
KNIGHT, ROBERTA W.
LAPRADE, BYRD
LEFEBVRE, JENNIFER E.
LUX, HARRY
MACARTHUR, LOIS
MCCLARAN, ANNE
MCCLARAN, TIM
MCNAIR, DANA
MCNAIR, DYLAN F.
MCNAIR, MALCOLM
MCNAIR, MALCOLM GORDON
MOLE, MARGARET
MOLE, MICHAEL
MOSTOLLER, PALA Z.
MUNAT, CLARE
MUNAT, JONATHAN C.
NEWTON, ANNA
NICHOLS, CLARENCE
NICHOLS, PAULINE
NUTTING, HARRY O.
OGDEN, ANDREA
OGDEN, JOHN
OGDEN, MARY
OGDEN, SAMUEL
OGDEN, SHEILA
PAGNUCCO, PAUL R.
PAGNUCCO, RHONDA C.
PARIETTI, LOREEN I.
PETERSON, ALICE L.
PFISTER, KARL T.
POMEROY, JESSE
POMEROY, MARION
SABOL, ROBERT
SABOL, SARA
SCHUBERT, KARL F.
SEULING, BARBARA
SNYDER, D. JAY
SNYDER, KATHY
STIGUM, TOVE L.
STONE, BEVERLY
SUMMERS, TODD S.
SWEETMAN, CHARLES
SWEETMAN, MARION
THOMSON, KAREN
THOMSON, PETER
TOLBERT, DIANNE
TOLBERT, JOHN
TORRE, ANDREW
USHER, BARBARA
VALDES, CARMEN
VAN WYCK, CATHERINE
WAITE, ROBERT
WAITE, SARAH
WALTZ, ELIZABETH
WHITTEN, BEATRICE
WHITTEN, GLEN
WILEY, JOHN D.
YOUNG, CHRISTINA
YOUNG, HELEN
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 5 -
TOWN OF LANDGROVEWarning 2013 Annual Town Meeting
Legal voters of the Town of Landgrove, County of Bennington, State of Ver-mont, are hereby warned and notified to meet at the Town Hall on Monday, March 3rd at 6:00pm to act on the following Articles:
ARTICLE 1: To elect a Moderator for the ensuing year.
ARTICLE 2: To elect the following officers as required by law:
Town Clerk 1 year term
Town Treasurer 1 year term
Selectman 3 year term
Auditor 3 year term
Lister 3 year term
Cemetery Commissioner 5 year term
Collector of Delinquent Taxes 1 year term
Grand Juror 1 year term
Town Agent 1 year term
Town Constable 1 year term
Trustee of Public Funds 3 year term
ARTICLE 3: To hear the reports of the Town Officers and take proper action on the Auditors’ report..
ARTICLE 4: To see if the Town will authorize its Select Board to apply any surplus or unanticipated funds towards the proposed budget.
ARTICLE 5: To see if the Town will vote to pay its taxes on real and personal property on or before October 1, 2014.
ARTICLE 6: To see if the Town will vote to raise the budgeted monies neces-sary to pay Town expenses and obligations for the 2014 year.
ARTICLE 7: To transact any other non-binding business proper to come be-fore said meeting, not acted upon in the preceding articles.
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 6 -
Dated January 23, 2014
Select Board of Landgrove, Vermont
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 7 -
Town Officers Elected
POSiTiON NAMES TERM EXPiRES Moderator (1 year term) Clare Munat 2014
Town Clerk (1 year term) Chrystal Cleary 2014
Town Treasurer (1 year term) Andrea Ogden 2014
Selectmen (3 year term) Jeremiah Evarts 2014 Greg Eckhardt 2015 John Ogden 2016
Board of Auditors (3 year term) Peggy Mole 2014 Anne McClaran 2015 Mary Gouger 2016
Board of Listers (3 year term) Mary Gouger 2014 Jerald Hassett 2015 Chuck Sweetman 2016
Board of Cemetery Commissioners Lynn Eckhardt 2014 (5 year term) John English 2015 Clarence Nichols 2016 May Bigelow 2017 Andy Torre 2018
Collector of Delinquent Taxes Sarah Waite 2014 (1 year term)
Grand Juror (1 year term) Claudia Harris 2014
Town Agent (1 year term) Byrd LaPrade 2014
Constable (1 year term) John Wiley 2014
Trustees of Public Fund Andrea Ogden 2014 (3 year term) Sarah Waite 2015 Dick Adams 2016
MTN TOWN RED Director Jeff Cleary 2015 (3 year term)
Justices of the Peace(elected at the November 2012 General Election for a 5 year term)
Charles Sweetman, Robert Waite, Chrystyna Young, Anna Dibble
and Clare Munat
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 8 -
Town Officers Appointed by Select Board
3 YEAR POSiTiON NAME TERM EXPiRES
Zoning Administrator John LaVecchia 2016
Planning Commission Malcolm McNair (chair) 2014 (includes ZA) Jerald Hassett 2014 Leigh Adams 2014 Chrystyna Young 2015 Chuck Sweetman 2015 Michael Mole 2015 Harry Lux 2016 Mary English 2016
Zoning Board of Adjustment Mary English (chair) 2016 (Includes all members of the Planning Comm. except the Zoning Administrator)
BCRC Member Jerald Hassett
Health Officer Greg Eckhardt 2016
Conservation Commission Kara Evarts 2014 Seth Bigelow 2014 Chrystal Cleary 2014
One Year TermsTown Service Officer Chair, Select Board 2014
Emergency Management Harry Nutting 2014
Forest Fire Warden Karl T. Pfister 2014
Asst. Fire Warden Jeremiah Evarts 2014
Road Commissioner Steve Hall 2014
Assistant Town Treasurer Sarah Waite 2014
911 Coordinator John LaVecchia 2014
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 9 -
Minutes of Town Meeting 2013
At Landgrove Town Hall, 88 Landgrove Road Monday, March 4, 6:00 PM Attendance: 40 Voters
Legal voters of the Town of Landgrove, County of Bennington, State of Ver-mont, are hereby warned and notified to meet at the Town Hall on Monday, March 4th at 6:00 PM to act on the following Articles:
ARTICLE 1. To elect a Moderator for the ensuing year. The Clerk cast one ballot for Clare Munat – Nominated by John Ogden, seconded by Mary Gouger.
ARTICLE 2. To elect the following officers as required by law:
Town Clerk, 1 year term – The Clerk cast one ballot for Chrystal Cleary – nomi-nated by Jeremiah Evarts, seconded by Mary Gouger.
Town Treasurer, 1 year term – The Clerk cast one ballot for Andrea Ogden – nominated by Peggy Mole, seconded by Dalen Cole.
Selectman, 3 year term – The Clerk cast one ballot for John Ogden – nominated by Claudia Harris, seconded by Jeremiah Evarts.
Auditor, 3 year term – The Clerk cast one ballot for Mary Gouger – nominated by Peggy Mole, seconded by Jay Snyder.
Lister, 3 year term – The Clerk cast one ballot for Charles Sweetman – nomi-nated by Mary Gouger, seconded by Michael Mole.
Cemetery Commissioner, 5 year term – The Clerk cast one ballot for Andrew Torre – nominated by Dalen Cole, seconded by Jeremiah Evarts.
Collector of Delinquent Taxes 1 year term – The Clerk cast one ballot for Sarah Waite – nominated by Lynn Eckhardt, seconded by Jeremiah Evarts.
Grand Juror, 1 year term – The Clerk cast one ballot for Claudia Harris – nomi-nated by Mary Gouger, seconded by Chrystyna Young.
Town Agent, 1 year term – The Clerk cast one ballot for Byrd LaPrade – nomi-nated by Jeremiah Evarts, seconded by Andy Torre.
Town Constable, 1 year term – The Clerk cast one ballot for John Wiley – nomi-nated by Greg Eckhardt, seconded by John Ogden.
Trustee of Public Funds, 3 year term – The Clerk cast one ballot for Richard Adams – nominated by Jeremiah Evarts, seconded by John Ogden.
ARTICLE 3. To hear the reports of the Town Officers and take proper ac-tion on the Auditors’ report: Jeremiah Evarts presented the Selectmen’s Report, much of which regarded their work with the Roads Dept., as road conditions
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 10 -
after Irene and last year’s Mud Season made our roads a priority for the Select-board this year. The Town acquired a new grader this year, which improved per-formance of road grading twofold. Our Town has made an alliance with David Antone of the VT Local Roads Project, a federally funded program, to consult on our road improvements and repairs. Mr. Antone will conduct “Road Grader School” right here in Landgrove to help educate the Roads Depts of other towns on proper crowning of roads, as well as educating on ditches, drainage, new materials to preserve and protect our dirt roads under the increased traffic they serve today.
John Ogden noted that this year we will be posting our roads against truck traf-fic during mud season and encouraged all to arrange for fuel deliveries while the roads are still frozen to mitigate any trucks having to deliver when the roads are vulnerable. Additionally, the Town is reaching out to let local suppliers know that access will be restricted as conditions soften and for them to contact us if access is needed.
This year the Town posted speed limits of 35 mph and 20 mph in the village in an effort to get drivers to slow down to safe speeds for pedestrians, cyclists and dogs. Discussions of next steps ensued- should the Town rent a speed tracking board from Peru for a while, hire an enforcement officer for certain time periods of high incidence? It was decided by the people to allow time for the signs to make their presence felt and then if further steps are needed, to gather data on actual scale of the offenses and act accordingly at the point.
There is nothing new to report on the Town Shed and sand pile storage- the Selectmen are aware of the need for a location, but no suitable place has been found.
High speed internet access remains a deficiency in Town and a struggle to make progress on. John Ogden has been in frequent contact with Fairpoint Commu-nications, following a lead base don laying of fiber optic cable through town to the Burr and Burton Academy Mountain Campus in Peru. Fairpoint has funding to provide $35K in switching equipment, but requires an order from the Public Service Board (PSB) to install it. John had been in touch with PSB and notified them to allow it, and the ball is in their court now. Andy Torre asked what the citizenry could do to move this item forward, and Jeremiah Evarts referred him to contact info for the PSB representatives in the front of the Annual Report. Various workaround technologies were discussed, such as MyFi, but John points out that only a wired system will serve our mountainous geography effectively and consistently with quality service.
Other notes:
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 11 -
- new hot water heater in Town Hall
- Selectmen meet twice a month- on the 2nd Thursday at 8AM and the 4th Thursday at 6PM.
- Jeremiah Evarts thanks Byrd LaPrade for the gift of a 1936 US map, which adorns a wall in our Town Office.
- Treasurer Andrea Ogden reminded citizens that dog licenses need to be re-newed by April 1st and that while filing taxes this year to not forget to file their homestead declaration, which is now once again an annual filing.
- The Education Tax Rate will go up 8 cents this year, and Andrea Ogden re-minds us to make sure our tax bills are properly and currently addressed, since the address from several years ago had been forwarded to the correct address, but that the forwarding service was now expired. She notes that we should make sure our mortgage companies have updated information. The Town will resolve the address issue for all time by erecting a mailbox here at 88 Landgrove Road and receiving delivery at Town Hall rather than the Londonderry PO Box or any officer’s home.
- There is no School Meeting now as it was held separately last week at Flood Brook School, under the new Mountain Towns RED. Any questions were to be directed to RED Director, Jeff Cleary, but there were none.
The article was moved my Melva Bigelow, seconded by Lynn Eckhardt. Article 3 passed unanimously.
ARTICLE 4. To see whether the Town will appropriate $2500 to the Town Hall Maintenance Fund. Article 4 was moved by Claudia Harris, seconded by Mary Gouger and passed unanimously.
ARTICLE 5. To see whether the Town will appropriate $1000 to the Cem-etery Endowment Fund. Article 5 was moved by Kathy Snyder, seconded by John Ogden and passed unanimously.
ARTICLE 6. To see whether the Town will appropriate $7500 for the renovation of the east wall of the Town Hall. The article was moved by May Bigelow, seconded by Andrea Ogden and unanimously accepted.
ARTICLE 7. To see if the Town will authorize its Selectboard to apply any surplus or unanticipated funds toward the proposed budget. The article was moved by Melva Bigelow, seconded by Lynn Eckhardt and unanimously ac-cepted.
ARTICLE 8. To see if the Town will vote to pay its taxes on real and per-sonal property on or before October 1st, 2013. The article was moved by Peggy Mole, seconded by Michael Mole and unanimously accepted.
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 12 -
ARTICLE 9. To see if the Town will vote to raise the budgeted monies necessary to pay Town expenses and obligations for the 2013 year. The article was moved by Jonathan Bigelow, seconded by Kathy Snyder and unanimously accepted.
ARTICLE 10. To transact any other non-binding business proper to come before said meeting, not acted upon in the preceding articles.
- Claudia Harris proposes a Town Website or listserv to enable timely and clear communications among townspeople. She also recommended a service such as Constant Contact to make lists and contact info easy to keep current.
- Priscilla Grayson of the Landgrove Historical Society presents documentation of a collection of books and other works Found In Collection at Town Hall and asks the voters if they shall grant caretaking of this collection to the Historical Society. The motion was seconded by John Ogden and unanimously accepted.
- The final item for Town Meeting was to agree to meet again in 2014 on the first Monday in March at 6pm, moved by Claudia Harris, seconded by Andy Torre and unanimously accepted.
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 13 -
Auditors’ Report
We, the undersigned auditors of the Town of Landgrove, have reviewed all the books and accounts of the Town of Landgrove on this 21st day of January, 2014.
We wish to report that all the entries have been properly made and all accounts are in balance.
__________________________________________________Mary Gouger
__________________________________________________Anne McClaran
__________________________________________________Peggy Mole
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 14 -
Cash Account Summary
Income Expense Balance
Register Balance 1/1/2013 $883,144.20
Net Income* $39,545.36
Change in Payroll Liability $138.48
Register Balance 12/31/13 $922,828.04
Uncleared Checks $3,755.86
Uncleared deposits $0.00
Bank Balance as of 12/31/13 $926,583.90 * See following pages for reconciliation to Net Income.
Current Asset Balance Sheet
12/31/13 12/31/2012 $ ChangeCemetery Checking $3,876.06 $5,324.70 -$1,448.64
Cemetery Endowment $34,423.65 $32,901.06 $1,522.59
Conservation Fund $16,887.22 $16,885.55 $1.67
Town AssetsOperating Account $858,123.13 $851,989.35 $6,133.78
Reserve FundsDog License Account $2,725.83 $2,592.27 $133.56Equipment Fund $20,000.00 $0.00 $20,000.00Listers Funds
Lister Ed $770.63 $0.00 $770.63Reappraisal Fund $25,061.85 $23,694.98 $1,366.87
Records Restoration $5,156.30 $3,877.30 $1,279.00Town Hall Maint Fund $10,990.30 $990.30 $10,000.00
Total Reserve Funds $64,704.91 $31,154.85 $33,550.06
Total Town Assets $922,828.04 $883,144.20 $39,683.84
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 15 -
Cash Account Reconciliation Detail
Income Expense Net IncomeincomeCopier $667.00 Historical Society Rent $701.00 Licenses & Permits $1,145.00 Penalty Collected $3,146.57 Recording Income $2,790.00 Taxes - Current Year $1,643,994.51 Taxes - Delinquent $20,413.54 VT State Highway Aid $34,421.62 Interest - Op & Reserve $80.66 Reserve Fund Income $2,509.50
Total income $1,709,869.40 $1,709,869.40
ExpenseGENERAL FUNDAppropriations
Community $12,181.00 Town
Cem Endowment $1,000.00 Cem Maintenance $6,500.00 Records Restoration $1,000.00 Town Hall Maint Fund $10,000.00
Insurance $2,808.20 Legal & Accounting $445.00 Listers' Expenses $274.64 Miscellaneous Expense $320.00 Permits & Licenses $210.00 Staff Costs $39,996.19 Tax Map Revisions $600.00 Taxes, Assessments & Fees $34,485.66 Town Hall & Office $11,440.02 Warnings & Notices $951.48
Cash Account Reconciliation continued on following page.
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 16 -
Income Expense Net IncomeZoning & Planning $605.52
Total GF Expense $122,817.71 $1,587,051.69
ROADSGeneralEquipment Fund $20,000.00 Gas & Oil $7,402.22 Licenses & Insurance $6,178.00 Machine Maint & Repairs $6,504.73 Misc $746.99 Rent $500.00 Training $260.00 Utilities $473.73 Summer $50,984.16 Winter $76,234.50
Total ROADS $169,284.33 $1,417,767.36
Other ExpenseEducation Payments
Mountain Towns RED $475,685.00 State of VT - 2nd FY13 $462,544.51 State of VT - 1st FY14 $455,286.00
Misc - Tax Abatement $12,093.78 Paid to Collector $3,374.27 Reserved Fund Expense
Dogs $238.44 Net Assets Moved to Reserve
Equipment Fund ($20,000.00)Records Restoration ($1,000.00)Town Hall Maint ($10,000.00)
Total Other Expense $1,378,222.00 Net income* $39,545.36
Cash Account Reconciliation continued from previous page.
*Referenced in Cash Account Summary on page page 14
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 17 -
Statement of Taxes Raised
7/9/2013Grand List
ValueTax Rate
Municipal Tax (prior to LUVA*) $1,347,913 $0.231
Education TaxHomestead (after LUVA) $279,782 $1.2970Non-Resident (after LUVA) $863,137 $1.2611
%Muni.
Combined Homestead Tax Rate $1.5280 15.1%Combined Non-Resident Tax Rate $1.4921 15.5%
Taxes CollectedCurrent Year
Taxes Paid - 2013 $1,596,376.79Del. Tax & Interest Paid - 2013 $4,431.41LUVA from State $41,492.00Municipal Tax Adjustment** $1,466.61
2011 Del. Tax & Interest Paid $386.332012 Del. Tax & Interest Paid $20,027.21
Total Collected $1,643,766.81
Taxes Outstanding as of 12/31/13 $38,101.26
Tax income AllocatedSchools $1,393,515.51Gen Fund Budget $133,372.00Roads Budget $176,300.00
Total Allocated $1,703,187.51
* Land Use Valuation Assessment (Current Use)
** Education tax adjustment credit $61,995.
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 18 -
Statement of Delinquent Taxes Collected
The following funds have been collected in Delinquent taxes in 2013:
2011 taxes, penalties and interest collected $409.83
2012 taxes, penalties and interest collected $23,042.85
2013 taxes, penalties and interest collected $4,766.54
Total delinquent taxes collected 1/1/13 - 12/31/13 $28,219.22
2013 Delinquent Taxes outstanding:
None
TAX SALE POLICY: When property taxes are in arrears for a period of one year and the second (current) year’s taxes have not yet been paid, a letter will be sent to the delinquent tax payer by certified mail asking if there is any reason why the Town should not proceed with a tax sale on the property.
Please note that taxes are due on or before October 1. Payments received or post-marked after that date are considered delinquent and are subject to a penalty fee of 8% and additional interest of 1% for the first three months or part thereof, and 1 ½% per month or part thereafter, as allowed under the laws of the State of Vermont.
Also, please note that the forwarding order on the Town’s old PO Box will ex-pire in July 2014 and tax payments and/or other related documents mailed to the old address will be returned by the Post Office which may put the timeliness of your tax payment in jeopardy.
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 19 -
Reserve Funds
The following funds are all held within the Town’s Stifel-Nicolaus cash account. A summary of these funds can be found on the Current Asset Balance Sheet on page 14.
Dogs License Account
Income Expenses BalanceBalance 1/1/2013 $2,592.27Licenses $372.00Cost of Tags 58.44State of VT - VSNIP 180.00Balance 12/31/13 $2,725.83
Landgrove does not have an Animal Control officer and therefore, should the situation arise that we need to implement an animal control program, we would have to hire an outside service. The money in this account is held in reserve to cover costs should the need become real.
Dog licenses are available at the Town Clerk’s office any time after January 1st each year. For a spayed or neutered dog, the charge is $8 and for an unaltered dog, the charge is $12. After April 1st, a late charge of $2 and $4 will apply for altered and unaltered dogs, respectively. New puppies or dogs acquired after April 1 will be charged half of the regular fee.
Please note that rabies inoculations must be current before a license can be is-sued.
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 20 -
Equipment Fund
Income Expenses BalanceBalance 1/1/2013 $0Taxes raised (as voted) $20,000.00
Balance 12/31/13 $20,000.00
This Fund is used to minimize the impact to taxpayers of large equipment pur-chases used to maintain our roads. Taxpayers allocate money to the fund each year and the fund accumulates until it is necessary to draw funds down for a large purchase. The fund was exhausted in 2012 due to the purchase of the John Deere grader.
Reappraisal Fund
Income Expenses BalanceBalance 1/1/2013 $23,694.98Move funds to Ed Fund $770.63State of VT - Per Parcel $2137.50Balance 12/31/13 $25,061.85
The Reappraisal Fund is held in reserve to cover costs associated with a town-wide reappraisal. See the Listers’ Report on page 31 for more information regarding the 2014 reappraisal process.
Listers’ Funds
The State of VT District Advisor noted that the State of VT Listers’ Education grant has been incorrectly recorded as income for our Reappraisal Fund. This grant is for Property Valuation and Review approved training only. See below for the correction.
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 21 -
Records Restoration Fund
Income Expenses BalanceBalance 1/1/2013 $3,877.30Taxes raised (as voted) $1,000.00Recording Fees $279.00Balance 12/31/13 $5,156.30
The Records Restoration fund is money held in reserve for preserving the town’s historical records. Income sources are the town appropriation and the state-man-dated $1 per page recorded by the Town Clerk.
Town hall Building Fund
Income Expenses BalanceBalance 1/1/2013 $990.30South Wall Project (as voted) $7,500Taxes raised (as voted) $2,500Balance 12/31/13 $10,990.30
The South Wall project is underway and is anticipated to be completed in 2014.
Listers’ Education Fund
Income Expenses BalanceBalance 1/1/2013 $0Transfer of prior years $770.63State of VT - Lister’s EdBalance 12/31/13 $770.63
As noted earlier, this fund was created in 2013 to correct the allocation of the Listers’ Ed grant we receive each year from the state of VT. This year, the grant from the state did not get issued to towns until January 2014 and will be recorded in next years fund accounting. The amount deposited on January 10, 2014 was $385.25. This fund is for Property Valuation and Review approved Listers training courses.
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 22 -
General Fund Budget
2012ACTUAL
2013BUDGET
2013ACTUAL
2014BUDGET
Community AppropriationsNeighborhood Connections 500.00 500.00 500.00 500.00 Visiting Nurse Alliance 615.00 615.00 615.00 615.00 Londonderry Fire Department 3,000.00 3,000.00 3,000.00 3,000.00 Londonderry Rescue Squad 3,000.00 3,000.00 3,000.00 3,000.00 Mental Health Services 166.00 166.00 166.00 166.00 Mtn Valley Medical Clinic 3,000.00 3,000.00 3,000.00 3,000.00 West River Sports 600.00 600.00 600.00 852.50 So. Londonderry Free Library 500.00 500.00 500.00 500.00 The Collaborative 500.00 750.00 750.00 750.00 Green Up 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00
Town AppropriationsCemetery Maintenance 8,950.00 6,500.00 6,500.00 6,500.00 Cemetery Renovation Fund 1,000.00 - - Records Restoration Fund 1,000.00 1,000.00 1,000.00 1,000.00 Cemetery Endowment* 1,000.00 1,000.00 1,000.00 Town Hall Maintenance Fund* 2,500.00 2,500.00 2,500.00 Town Hall - South Wall* 7,500.00 7,500.00 -
Taxes, Assessments & FeesBenn. County Reg. Comm. 1,750.00 1,750.00 1,803.00 1,839.00 Bennington County Tax 7,179.80 8,000.00 7,437.45 8,000.00 Londonderry Transfer 14,310.66 16,000.00 17,107.21 18,000.00 VT League of Cities & Towns 886.00 931.00 931.00 1,000.00 SW NH Dispatch 7,268.00 7,400.00 7,207.00 7,400.00
Salaries & StipendsListers 1,500.00 3,000.00 3,000.00 3,000.00 Town Clerk 16,000.08 16,000.00 14,000.07 16,000.00 Asst. Town Clerk 587.50 1,000.00 - 1,000.00
*These items were warned individually at the 2103 Town Meeting.
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 23 -
2012ACTUAL
2013BUDGET
2013ACTUAL
2014BUDGET
Treasurer 13,999.92 14,000.00 13,999.92 14,000.00 Payroll Expenses 2,348.50 2,360.00 2,204.95 2,400.00 Select Board 2,400.00 3,000.00 3,000.00 3,000.00 Road Commissioner 1,000.00 1,000.00 1,000.00 1,000.00 MT Town Red School Director 900.00 1,000.00 1,000.00 1,000.00 Zoning Administrator 1,844.25 3,250.00 1,791.25 3,000.00
Town Hall & OfficeSupplies 2,021.92 3,000.00 3,328.16 3,000.00 Heat - Oil 2,914.11 3,000.00 2,360.01 3,000.00 Utilities 2,327.94 3,000.00 2,449.45 2,500.00 Repairs & Maintenance 2,350.54 3,000.00 3,017.40 3,000.00 Training 500.00 285.00 500.00
insurance 2,664.60 2,800.00 2,808.20 2,800.00 Legal & Accounting 650.00 5,000.00 445.00 5,000.00 Legislative Fees - 100.00 - - Listers’ Expense 585.99 500.00 274.64 500.00 Zoning & Planning 502.50 500.00 605.52 700.00 Notices, Warnings & Reports 1,590.00 2,000.00 951.48 1,500.00 Tax Map Revisions - 600.00 600.00 600.00
Total Expense 110,463.31 133,372.00 122,287.71 127,172.50
Prior Year Surplus/Deficit - 11,084.29 -
Amount Raised by Taxes 133,372.00 127,172.50
General Fund Budget continued from previous page.
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 24 -
Roads Budget
2012ACTUAL
2013BUDGET
2013ACTUAL
2014PROPOSED
Equipment Fund 20,000.00 20,000.00 20,000.00 20,000.00 Gas & Oil 8,219.27 9,000.00 7,402.22 9,000.00 Licenses & insurance 6,108.00 6,200.00 6,178.00 6,200.00 Machine Maint. & Repair 6,963.36 12,000.00 6,504.73 10,000.00 Misc. 161.18 1,000.00 746.99 1,000.00 Rent & Electric - Truck Plug-in
972.84 1,100.00 973.73 1,100.00
Training 500.00 260.00 500.00 42,424.65 49,800.00 42,065.67 47,800.00
Summer RoadsChloride 3,402.00 5,000.00 2,820.00 5,000.00 Roadside Mowing 6,100.10 6,000.00 6,096.25 6,000.00 Ditches 58,609.09 7,000.00 30,693.76 7,000.00 Culverts 6,846.38 7,000.00 664.15 7,000.00 Maintenance (Grading) 2,775.00 12,500.00 6,175.00 10,000.00 Resurfacing (Gravel) 3,333.00 30,000.00 3,625.00 30,000.00 Storm Repair 314.98 910.00 5,500.00
81,380.55 67,500.00 50,984.16 65,500.00
Winter Roads
Plowing & SandingLabor 18,820.00 25,000.00 22,630.00 25,000.00 Machine Rental 9,000.00 9,000.00 9,000.00 9,000.00 Deicer 8,978.42 10,000.00 4,264.50 10,000.00 Sand & Materials 25,520.00 30,000.00 36,663.00 35,000.00 Storm Repair 15,000.00 3,677.00 5,500.00
62,318.42 89,000.00 76,234.50 84,500.00
Total Budgeted 186,123.62 206,300.00 169,284.33 197,800.00
Roads Budget continued on following page.
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 25 -
2012ACTUAL
2013BUDGET
2013ACTUAL
2014PROPOSED
Unbudgeted ProjectsExtreme Mud Season 37,601.75
Total Expense 223,725.37 206,300.00 169,284.33 197,800.00
Less: State Aid 25,509.00 30,000.00 34,421.62 30,000.00
Net Road Budget 198,216.37 176,300.00 134,862.71 167,800.00
Prior year Surplus/Deficit - 41,437.29 41,000.00
Amount Raised by Taxes 176,300.00 126,800.00
Roads Budget continued from previous page.
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 26 -
Select Board Report
FYiSelect Board meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 8:00am and the 4th Thursday of each month at 6pm at the Town Hall. Members of the public are always welcome to observe the meeting. Please contact the clerk a week in advance of the meeting to get on the agenda. Also, please note that the minutes of the meeting are public record and are available at the Town Hall
The Landgrove Select Board had another busy year in 2013. We con-tinued to work closely with our road commissioner Steve Hall on improving the safety and quality of our roads. The new grader has been performing beautifully and we feel the quality of the roads have improved, but we realize there is more to be done. We are pleased to report that with the help of David Antone, Direc-tor of the Vermont Local Roads Program, we received a $4,000.00 grant from “Better Back Roads” to go towards an engineering survey which should help us in the future work on correcting some of our perennial problem spots on our dirt roads.
We would like to remind residents again that the posted speed limits should be obeyed or they will be enforced. We will also be “posting” the roads in “Mud Season” to restrict over-weight vehicles to take pressure off our soft spring road surfaces. Emergency vehicles, of course, are not subject to these restrictions.
We are happy to report Fair Point is offering high-speed internet in most of the town now. To get connected call 1-866-984-2001.
The Select Board would like to thank Seth Bigelow for his many hours of meetings and field work putting together the Pitcher Forest timber sale. We are all looking forward to reporting more to residents at town meeting.
The Select Board would like to thank in advance the town Listers who will have a challenging spring 2014 working with the professional appraisal firm New England Municipal Resource Center (NEMRC) on our town re-appraisal. This will be a very time consuming job and we want to let you know that the Select Board is here to support you during the re-appraisal.
Lastly, we would like to thank Andrea Ogden for covering both the Town Treasurer position and Town Clerk position for the first three months of the year prior to Chrystal Cleary coming on board as our new Town Clerk.
Dated on January 23, 2014,
Jeremiah Evarts Greg Eckhardt John Ogden
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 27 -
Cemetery Commission
Cemetery Operating Account - People’s Bank
Income Expenses BalanceRegister Balance 1/1/2013 $5,324.70Taxes Raised (as voted) $6,500.00Donations $200.00Plot Sales $1,410.00Plot Sales - Clerk $10.00Grounds Maintenance $9,100.00Veterans’ Flags $48.64Moved to Endowment $400.00Bank & Reg. Bal.12/31/13 $3,876.06
Our two largest cemeteries were maintained by our sextons, Frank and Sarah Johnson, and we received several comments about how well groomed the areas appear. The American Legion placed flags at the sites of our military veterans. Our membership to the Vermont Old Cemetery Association has been renewed for five years, at no cost to the town. A few people have expressed difficulties and safety concerns about entering the main cemetery through the pedestrian gate along the main road, therefore the lower was modified to allow opening of one half of the entrance without a key. This allows off road parking and easier access for people who use walking aids or other assistance. Two lots were sold to residents and corner stones were located or placed to identify some lots.
The Martin Cemetery is located in a forested area and is maintained by volun-teers, who cut a few weeds and clear away fallen branches.
There were two interments in 2013: Jane Caruthers -- June 21 Jean Winkler -- July 9
Respectfully submitted for the cemetery commission,Clarence Nichols
Cemetery Commissioners:
May Bigelow, Lynn Eckhardt, John English, Clarence Nichols, Andrew Torre, and honorary commissioner Monk Ogden
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 28 -
Conservation Commission The Landgrove Conservation Commission has been working with the Board of Selectmen and the State of Vermont to develop a forest harvest and restoration strategy for the Lynn Pitcher Memorial Forest on Old County Road and Tarpley Road. Activities of commission members have included review of Pitcher Forest property boundaries; collection and storage of local-source acorns for oak reforestation; presentation of the harvest and reforestation plan at an open community meeting; assisting Bennington County Forester Kyle Mason with marking of the stand to identify trees for cutting; review of documents pertaining to the timber sale; contacting surrounding landowners; and informal monitoring of activities during the Pitcher Forest harvest.
Respectfully submitted,Seth Bigelow
Landgrove Community Club
An anonymous donor provided an alternative reason to come to Green Up besides the donuts. Thank you - what a great addition to the morning!
The Fourth of July was a beautiful day, but Leu-rich Field was too wet to play the Hill versus Valley baseball game. The game was moved to the Flood Brook School and Hill prevailed. After years of listen-ing to Nick Van Dyck at the monument, Jay Snyder took a turn at imparting his wisdon and perspective on living in Landgrove.
Respectfully submitted, Andrea Ogden, Chair
Clerk’s Report
I have enjoyed meeting so many of you my first year as Town Clerk, and have been learning a great deal in all areas of clerk responsibilities. To help serve you better I attended a New Clerks’ Workshop and a Vermont Dog Laws Seminar this year, and networked with other mountain town clerks which has been helpful when questions arise. In records management, we’ve had two de-cades of historic grand lists conserved, updated the town tax maps and brought our set of Vermont Statutes up to date.
Thank you for registering your dogs- in 2013 Landgrove licensed 42 dogs, possibly a high! The deadline for registering dogs is April 1st. Bring in those rabies certificates and I look forward to seeing you around Town Hall!
Respectfully submitted,Chrystal Cleary
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 29 -
Map of Town Lands
Special thanks to the Bennington County Regional Commission and Jim Henderson for preparing this map for our Town Report. A similar map can be found in the Town Plan.
Lynn Pitcher Memorial Forest
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 30 -
Landgrove historical Society
During 2013 Landgrove Historical Society built on the basics of Collec-tions Management provided by Blair Williams and Leila English. We also had valuable advice from our lawyer Board member, Kevin Light. He reviewed, among other documents, our Collections Management Policy. This was ap-proved by the Board allowing us to legally accession the bulk of our collections, both Permanent (unique to Landgrove and worthy of owning) and Reference (useful for research but not always necessary if available elsewhere). For anyone interested this information is available in LHS office. Blair’s project for us ended in January and we lost Leila to other endeavors in April. Both are sorely missed.
Most of our collections are archival or photographic. This spring, however, we received an Object, a brass bell from Cathy van Wyck as she sorted belong-ings in her move from Landgrove. Monk Ogden recalls it from school days in the 1930/40’s as signaling the end of recess or as a need to listen to the teacher. A bigger bell that tolled the start and close of school now resides in the belfry of the Landgrove Meeting House.
The Town voted last March to underwrite improvements to the stage area. The work should be completed by Steve Hall near the 2014 Town Meeting. May Bigelow, Carol Joder, Anne McClaran and Priscilla Grayson contributed brains and brawn to this project.
Exhibit: “The Great Road” was the topic and will be for the next several years. It follows the strait but roller coaster trail/road cut by our original set-tlers (William Utley family). In Landgrove it starts at Shaw Knoll, becomes Old County Road East, followed by a short piece of Cody Road, then Old County Road West and Hapgood Pond Rd. ending at the Martin’s house (13 Hapgood Pond Rd.), close to the site of Utley’s homestead. This year the story covered the road from the Londonderry line (current landowners Demovick and Pagnucco on the north side, Hodges, Brackman, & Jordan on the south side) and ended with Dalen Cole’s property (40 Old County Rd East). Old farms and land own-ers included two generations of Carpenters and the Swallow and Shaw families. Our 2014 exhibit will cover the next segment with emphasis on the old Valentine gable front house, recently Evarts‘ and now Burke’s (13 Old County Rd East). And to generate interest, on August 7th Jonathan Bigelow led an afternoon walk along The Great Road examining cellar holes, grave stones and the lay of the land.
Programs: Our fourth annual Pancake Breakfast took place March 31 with delicious gastronomic contributions from the Haussleins with syrup from Sugar Bob’s Finest Kind and Landgrove Sugar Works (Evarts and Bigelow) Our third Pot Luck/Square Dance, with special thanks to Maureen and Tom Checchia, took place on July 27 at Landgrove Inn’s Inview with music by Mary Barron
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 31 -
and Marcos Levy and caller Lausanne Allen.
Membership has increased to 72 people. We have decided to continue mailing annual membership notices by regular mail and use e-mail for programs or special events.
Board:Kevin Light’s work commitments necessitated his resignation dur-ing the summer. Rob Badger has agreed to serve in his place.
May Bigelow, President Anne McClaranMeg Pennybacker, Vice President Michael MoleMary Gouger, Treasurer Clarence NicholsPriscilla Grayson, Secretary Sally OgdenRob Badger Kathy SnyderDavid Eckhardt Marion Sweetman
Listers’ Report
The listers did a normal number of site visits dealing with renovations, additions, and new buildings as well dealing with adjustments/revisions . As a result, there was a net increase of over four hundred thousand to the grand list which as of July 2013 was $114,291,983. Our 5700 acres consist of approxi-mately 210 parcels of which just over 160 have structures.
This year our key focus has been on researching, studying, preparing for and beginning our town wide reappraisal . We benefited greatly from joining VALA, the Vermont Association of Listers and Assessors, as part of our work . We developed a request for proposals and sent it to 25 appraisal firms. After an evaluation process that included interviews, reference checks, employee and firm history, we hired the professional and highly experienced reappraisal firm of NEMRC . We are on an accelerated schedule to have all site visits completed by early April with the complete reappraisal project finished by the end of May 2014 . Much will also be done to update our files and computer records with the reappraisal data.
The listers are in the midst of contacting all property owners and scheduling site visits . It should be noted that we expect two of the three listers will accompany the professional appraiser on each site visit . We believe this involvement has helped move the process along in a more timely manner as well as saving us money in the bid.
We greatly appreciate the understanding and cooperation of our prop-erty owners as we undertake this important and necessary project.
Respectfully Submitted,
Mary Gouger Jerry Hassett Chuck Sweetman
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 32 -
Road Commissioner’s Report
I’d like to extend a thank you to Jay Merrill who continues to manage our dirt roads, summer and winter, with care and diligence. Similarly, Cameron Chalm-ers and his company have been a great asset with the roadside mowing and general maintenance around the bridges.
Summer 2013 we continued our push toward providing better channels for water to come off the roads appropriately by repairing and replacing culverts and improving the ditching along the roadway. Areas that saw attention this year include the Flats, Landgrove Hollow Road and Cody Road. A few problematic rocks were removed from Tarpley Road. The goal is to do a little ditching and culvert maintenance each year, but we have to catch up before things will settle into a more regular pattern.
This roadside work will also help in preparation for anticipated road resurfacing. We plan on doing a road survey and getting engineering consultation on how to manage some of our perennial problem areas, like Buffum Hill. The goal is to have scenic, dirt roads that are able to handle the Vermont freeze-thaw cycles and excess water as smoothly as possible.
Respectfully submitted,Steve Hall
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 33 -
Treasurer’s Report
Perhaps you have noticed our new mailbox at the Town Hall? We are excited to have our physical and mailing addresses the same. It has been a slow process getting everyone to take note of the change but we seem to be making headway. Thank you for your careful attention in addressing your tax payments this year. Our small driveway at the town hall can get crowded, but please keep in mind that Nicky, our mail lady, needs to be able to drive through to deliver the mail!
This summer, the town acquired a table made by Tom Dibble, Senior at a tag sale at Sarah Ishu’s house. It is a perfect work table for the town office! We are also very grateful to Christine Pennypacker for loaning us sturdy chairs for this table.
The town website (landgrove.vermont.gov) continues to evolve - we are always looking for ways to make it more helpful. Another technology gain this year is a cloud-based database of townspeople where we can easily access phone numbers and emails of landowners. We are excited about this as a tool to run the office more efficiently.
The town office has switched internet providers from satelite to Fair Point DSL. We are excited about the improved speed and reliability and are sure that this will please our drive-up internet users.
Respectfully submitted,Andrea Ogden
Trustees of Public Funds
The Trustees of Public Funds manage two funds for the people of Land-grove. The first fund is the Cemetery Endowment. This fund was established as an endowment to ensure that the cemeteries of Landgrove would be maintained in perpetuity. The principal of the fund is not to be touched, and each year the Trustees of Public funds will determine what percentage of the interest on the account can be disseminated to the Cemetery checking account. In 2013, the interest earned on the principal was $103.99. The trustees voted to roll that amount into the principal investment. The Town’s appropriation of $1000 per year is greatly appreciated and will help this endowment achieve its goal of pro-viding earnings to support the lawn mowing expenses. The other income source is a portion of cemetery plot sales. Please consider including this endowment in your annual and/or end of life giving - the fund has a long was to go to be big enough to fund the maintainance of our beautiful cemeteries.
The second account in the care of the Trustees of Public Funds is the Conservation Fund. This fund was created with money raised by towns people
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 34 -
Conservation Funds
Income Expenses BalanceBalance 1/1/2013 $16,885.55Interest $1.67Balance 12/31/13 $16,887.22
Cemetery Endowment
Income Expenses BalanceBalance 1/1/2013 $32,901.06Town Appropriation $1,000.00Plots Sales $400.00Interest $103.99Unrealized Change $18.60Balance 12/31/13 $34,423.65
to help with the costs associated with the 1996 conservation easement of the Martin fields in the Utley Flats. It was agreed that the excess money be put into the management of the Trustees of Public Funds and used to aid in the legal expenses of future land conservation projects in the town. It has been a little dif-ficult to find records stating the exact terms of this fund - if you have any infor-mation, please speak to the Town Treasurer. Also, if you are considering putting your land into conservation, please contact us to see how these funds might help your process move forward.
The investment strategy for these two funds was discussed at the annual meeting of Trustees. It was agreed that both funds could take a more risky posi-tion due to the long term nature of each fund. We have adopted the traditional investment model of 60% stocks and 40% bonds. We feel this balance positions the funds for maximum growth with moderate exposure to risk.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrea OgdenSally WaiteDick Adams
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 35 -
Zoning & Planning
how to Contact the ZA?John LaVecchia • [email protected] • (802) 362-3534Office Hours at Town Hall: Tuesdays 12:30pm - 2pm
The following applications were considered in 2013 and permits issued except as noted.
13-01 to David Ortiz (Co-Trustee for Barbara Carder Trust) for a sub-division at Old County Road West. This application was withdrawn subject to re-submission.
13-02 to Thomas Hartman for an addition to a house at 1265 Winhall Hollow Road.
13-03 to Richard and Leigh Adams for a CUP under UFSOD for an addition to a house at 6 Old County Road West.
13-04 to Richard and Leigh Adams for a CUP under UFSOD and a variance to construct a garage/barn at 12 Old County Road West.
13-05 to Craig and Nancy Hafer for a CUP under UFSOD to move an existing house and construct an addition and connecting barn/garage at 16 Nichols Road.
13-06 to Cameron Chalmers and Mary Ogden—a renewal of permit 12-01 to construct an addition to a house and a barn at 209 Cody Road.
13-07 to Roberta Knight to construct an addition to a barn at 76 Cody Road.
13-08 to Jeremiah and Kara Evarts to construct a new residence at 10 Old County Road East.
13-09 to Tim and Anne McClaran to construct a barn at 24 Jaquith Road.
13-10 to Tom and Joceyln Dibble to construct a storage shed at 9 Tar-pley Road.
13-11 to Ryan Foster to construct a new residence at 131 Holden Hill Road.
During the year the Zoning administrator has had conversations with many residents and landowners regarding various questions as to procedures, potential issues and general information.
Respectfully submitted,John B. LaVecchia, ZA
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 36 -
Statements from Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union
SUPERiNTENDENT’S REPORT JANUARY 2014
The Landgrove Town School District became part of the Mountain Towns Regional Education District on July 1, 2013, and the Mountain Towns Regional Education District is assigned to the Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union (BRSU) in Sunderland. The FY13 Financial Statement is included in your town report for your information. Please reference the Mountain Towns RED Annual Report for information regarding the RED.
LANDGROVE DiSTRiCT AUDiTThe Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union engaged Fothergill, Segal & Valley, CPA, Montpelier, Vermont to conduct an audit of the former Landgrove School District FY’13 accounts. Copies of the audit report will be available upon completion for public inspection at the Office of the Superintendent of Schools (362-2452).
The past year has brought more exciting transitions for the Mountain Towns Regional Educational District (RED) and Flood Brook School. As of July 1st, the Flood Brook Union School Board was officially disbanded, as were the local town Boards of Londonderry, Weston, Peru and Landgrove and the Mountain Towns RED Board began to oversee K-12 education in our four towns. With this change came the transition of the Mountain Towns RED to the Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union (BRSU) where we join similar school choice towns such as Manchester and Dorset. With this change, our towns now hold three seats on the BRSU Board and we have begun to play an active role in some of the exciting initiatives underway in BRSU such as the focus on person-alized student learning. While our pioneering formation of the Mountain Towns RED (the first Regional Educational District in the state) and transition to a new supervisory union brought myriad challenges, by all accounts things have gone very well.
At this spring’s Board retreat, the RED Board established two Board goals for the coming year. The first is to become better informed about pre-school opportunities and challenges in our District. Previous to the formation of the RED, pre-school education was overseen by the individual town boards along with a pre-school collaborative of the Windsor Southwest Supervisory
MOUNTAiN TOWNS RED ANNUAL REPORT MARCH 2014
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 37 -
Union. The transition to the RED and BRSU placed responsibility for oversight of all K-12 education under the RED Board. Over the course of this year, we have been busy talking with providers, Flood Brook staff and the BRSU staff about preschool attendance, programs and funding so our Board better under-stands what opportunities are available to families in our District, as well as ways in which we might consider changes to better serve our communities.
The second Board goal for the year is to establish Ends Policies for the Mountain Towns RED. Ends Policies are Board policies that establish specific goals for students educated in our District and can then be used as benchmarks against which progress can be measured. All towns in the BRSU have created or are in the process of creating Ends Policies to guide their assessment and decision making. The Ends Policy process involves gathering and synthesiz-ing input from community members, staff and students, and then attempting to derive District-wide goals from this input. To this end, the RED Board held a community forum in the fall and has sought input from students and faculty. The Board will be looking at all of the information collected over the course of the winter and attempting to chart a course to the development of Draft Ends Policies by the end of the year.
In the face of decreasing enrollments and increasing costs in K-12 schools statewide, we have been fortunate to see a significant rise in the number of students in our District. As our numbers were dropping several years ago, our Board made a decision to delay cutting programs and focus on improving our school and doing a better job with outreach to attract families to our com-munities. Our Board feels strongly that the changes that the last few years have brought to Flood Brook and the Mountain Towns RED put our communities in a strong position to continue this growth. We believe that the best way to build strong communities, as well as to help control costs, is to strive to offer the best possible K-12 public education.
While statewide education spending is on the rise, rising enrollments and controlling costs has allowed the Mountain Towns RED to decrease its spending per equalized pupil by $385 for the coming year. However, despite our best efforts, statewide trends in enrollment and a 7 cent increase in the statewide “base rate” will cause our taxes to rise moderately. Thanks to forming the RED two years ago, we still reap the benefits of a reduction to our tax rate and a cap on the total increase on the tax rate, which has helped to moderate tax increases for the last two years. Those benefits will carry forward for two more years through the 2017 budget. With that in mind, we have set aside a portion of this year’s surplus in a new fund to be used to partially offset future increases in the tax rate or to cover unexpected secondary tuition expenses due to changes in enrollment.
There are many challenges facing our schools in Vermont and nation-
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 38 -
wide in the coming years, but our Board is confident that we have students, a faculty, administration and communities that are up to the challenge. At the same time, our children, families and schools need the support of all of the community to be successful. We hope that you will all seek ways to become involved and support our children. Volunteers are always needed in our schools and our Board is always looking for public input to help guide our decision making as we forge ahead. Our Board meets on the second and fourth Mondays of every month at 6:30 PM at Flood Brook School and the public is always wel-come. We look forward to another year of growth and change as we prepare for the years ahead.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jon Mowry, Chair
Wendell Coleman, Vice Chair
Melissa Brown
Charlie Cave
Jeff Cleary
Duane Hart
Rosalind Klezos
Debra Lyneis
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 39 -
FY13
FY13 FY 13
Budget Actual
Expenditures
Secondary Program $130,050 $107,812
Special Education - Secondary 15,072 8,595
Early Education 7,000 4,505
Board 750 258
Office of the Superintendent 7,095 7,095
Transportation Services 9,072 5,544
Total Expenditures $169,039 $133,809
Revenue
Interest $0 $0
Hold Harmless 3,255 1,501
Federal Forest 1,800 637
Transportation Reimbursement 4,657 4,712
Special Ed Block Grant 4,147 4,147
Spec. Ed. - Reimbursement 5,512 952
Early Education Block Grant 1,939 1,939
Revenue Subtotal $21,310 $13,888
Education Spending 147,729 149,483
Total Revenue Receipts $169,039 $163,371
Fund Balance
Actual Balance June 30, 2012 $9,049
Anticipated Revenue FY13 163,371
Anticipated Expenditures FY13 (133,809)
Anticipated Balance June 30, 2013 $38,611
Landgrove School District
TOWN OF LANDGROVE - 2013
- 40 -
A few of the faces we miss seeing about town. John Newton
Christie Tolstoy
Mouse ThatcherArthur and Mary Helen Williams
Jean Winkler
Elaine Raphael Bolognese
Tow
n of
Lan
dgro
ve
88 L
andg
rove
Roa
d
Land
grov
e, V
T 0
5148
PLE
ASE
BR
ING
TH
IS R
EPO
RT
WIT
H Y
OU
TO
TO
WN
ME
ET
ING
.